July 7 – Staff Working Remotely for the Next Two weeks
Due to the Coronavirus and the Church Office being CLOSED until Monday, July 20, the plans for having THREE Live-Streamed Worship Services beginning on July 19 have been POSTPONED. Be on the lookout for more information coming soon. The Worship Committee and the Church Leadership are working hard to come up with new ways to worship together that we hope we can start implementing soon.
If you have any pastoral care needs, please call or email Mike or Pastor Rick or leave a message for the Pastor on Call when calling the church office. We anticipate the church offices opening again on July 20.
The Worship Services this Sunday are as normal at 9 & 11 am. As Jesus guided the disciples through the storm, so our Lord will be with us in these challenging days.
In Christ we abide,
Pastor Mike
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June 25th – (From https://www.wnccumc.org/newsdetail/updated-guidelines-for-in-person-worship-ministry-during-covid-19-14030713) – As faithful disciples of Jesus Christ in the midst of our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to our Biblical mandate to “love our neighbors as ourselves” and our Wesleyan call to “do no harm.” In doing so, we seek ways to engage faithfully in worship, study, and ministry while ensuring the health and safety of our members and communities.
We do not recommend returning to indoor worship at this time. Continue hosting online, drive-in, or outdoor worship services while following CDC, state and local guidelines, including handwashing, wearing masks, and observing physical distancing rules.
Download the Guidelines for In-Person Worship & Ministry During COVID-19 – Updated June 24, 2020
May 28, 2020 – From John Fair, Chairman of the Worship Committee– The Worship Committee and Staff at Main Street have decided to change our pattern of Live Streamed worship effective in June. The 9am service will become a contemporary service, with the 11 o’clock service being traditional, including components of both the 8:30 and 11:00 traditional services. This change is to better meet the needs of our worshiping congregation, providing a more contemporary service to those who normally attend the Jubilee Service. We will be revising and improving our services as we move forward through these changing times.
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March 26, 2020 – The leaders of our church committees came together to discuss the ways to continue to connect with each other during the Conoravirus Pandemic. As a group the following decision was made:
- To suspend all public, in-room worship, meetings, and gatherings at Main Street until we receive an “all clear” from authorities with gatherings to resume at a date yet to be determined by the leaders of our church.
- The staff is continuing to offer live streaming of our services on Sunday Mornings at 9:00am & 11:00am, Oasis on Wednesday nights at 5:30pm, a Bible Study on Wednesday Mornings, Youth Bible Study, and a weekly Children’s Message. The staff is also looking into ways to increase the number of opportunities to participate by considering additional Live Stream options.
If you have a Sunday School Class or Small Group that would like to connect with each other please contact John Higgins at john.higgins@mainstreetumc.org. He will be able to help you connect with your small group through technology.
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March 13, 2020 – As you know, the purpose of Main Street UMC is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
In light of growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19, today we (staff and church leadership) want to place a strong emphasis on making and sustaining physically healthy followers of Jesus Christ at Main Street.
Beginning today, Main Street UMC is suspending all activities at the church (except for AA, ALANON, and Carenet which are critical mental health resources) for the next two weeks in order to protect our members who are most vulnerable. Many members of our congregation fit into this category, and we want to do everything possible to keep them safe during this time.
ALL activities, including those of outside groups, are suspended from March 13 through March 28. AA, ALANON, and Carenet may continue to meet, at their discretion. The church office will maintain normal office hours (8:30-4:00 Monday-Thursday and 8:30-noon on Friday) and the pastors are available for phone calls and one-on-one consultations as needed. Pastors will temporarily discontinue visiting hospitals and assisted living homes during this time.
While we are suspending our in-person Sunday worship services for the next two Sundays, we are providing a way for you to worship with us online on Sunday morning. The Sanctuary will not be open to the congregation during the livestream. This will be livestreamed on www.mainstreetumc.org at 9:00 am and 11:00am on March 15. The worship service will have musical elements from our three regular worship services, a message for the children, and a sermon.
We will email more information about online worship for March 22. Please remember to continue to support your church ministries through your prayers and financial contributions, which can be mailed, dropped off at the church office, electronically sent from your bank, or made through the “tithely” button on the church website.
Our leadership team carefully weighed our options and we feel that this is the best course of action for the congregation as a whole. This falls in line with Bishop Paul Leeland’s advice to suspend public worship services in order to reduce members’ exposure to COVID-19.
Main Street UMC Preschool follows the calendar of WSFCS and will close if WSFCS closes.
The Community Lent Service on March 15 at Crews UMC is cancelled.
These decisions are, of course, subject to change as we evaluate new data. The Leadership Team will meet again on March 26 to re-assess our plan to go forward after these two weeks have passed.
Suspending worship services and church activities will also give church staff the opportunity to deep clean and disinfect the facilities, though no cases of COVID-19 have been reported in connection with Main Street, that we are aware of.
Keep an eye on the emails from the church and the Thursday Connect e-mail for any updates. Please call our members who are not electronically connected and share this information. As always, if you have a question about a meeting or an event, call the church at 336-993-3411. We appreciate your patience as we navigate these uncharted waters.
Know that our decisions are being prayerfully made for the good of our members, our church, and our community.
